Parker's Piece Public Art Commission

Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Traning Complex, Shanghai, China

Each day this week, we will be counting down to the launch of the Cambridge Rules 1848 sculpture on Saturday by highlighting the story behind the location of one of the stones. Cut into nine pieces, five travel around the world in cultural exchange and four remain on Parker’s Piece.

We start today with the stone going to Shanghai, China…

Given that the earliest recorded form of a game where a ball had to be kicked into a net is not in England at all, but 3rd Century BC China, it’s apt that one of the stones is going to Shanghai. Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club in its various historical guises is one of the oldest professional clubs in China, attracting the likes of Howard Wilkinson, Jean Tigana, Nicolas Anelka, Sergio Batista and Gus Poyet to coach one of the Chinese Super League’s biggest sides.

The stone will be situated at the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua training complex, which is at the centre of their impressive program developing a new generation of Chinese players. Their under 17 age group development team players made us a special video of them reading the 11 rules.

“As the chairman of the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club, I am very honoured to have the Cambridge Rules stone at our club,” said Mr Xiaohui Wu. “We believe that through our constant efforts and active progress, we want to let every Shanghai fan feel the infinite charm of football and enjoy a better life.”

Mr Xiaohui Wu, chairman of the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club

Shengjiong Qiu, the goalkeeper of the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua Football Club

Shengjiong Qiu says “The goalkeeper is the last line of defense in the team, and most of them need to be like a meteorite. Hardness and perseverance. Even if the time goes by, the time will wear away some of the sharpness of my body, but I will be as loyal to guard Shenhua as the stone of Cambridge’s modern football rules, despite the wind and rain, it is always there!”